Kendelse
UDSKRIFT
AF
HØJESTERETS ANKE- OG KÆREMÅLSUDVALGS DOMBOG
HØJESTERETS KENDELSE
afsagt fredag den 20. juni 2025
Sag 2/2025
Anklagemyndigheden
mod
Sigtede
(advokat Ib René Laursen, beskikket)
I tidligere instanser er afsagt kendelse af Retten i Holstebro den 26. august 2024 (1-1765/2024) og af Vestre Landsrets 1. afdeling den 16. september 2024 (S-1653-24).
I påkendelsen har deltaget fem dommere: Jens Peter Christensen, Lars Hjortnæs, Kurt Rasmussen, Rikke Foersom og Mohammad Ahsan.
Påstande
Anklagemyndigheden har nedlagt påstand om stadfæstelse af byrettens kendelse om, at Sigtede skal udleveres til Ukraine.
Sigtede har nedlagt påstand om stadfæstelse af landsrettens kendelse om ikke at tage anmodningen om udlevering af ham til Ukraine til følge.
Sagsfremstilling
Sagsforløbet
Sigtede, der er russisk statsborger, indrejste i Danmark den 13. september 2022. Den 22. marts 2024 blev han anholdt af det danske politi som følge af, at han den 20. marts 2024 var blevet
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internationalt efterlyst af Ukraine. Den 20. marts 2024 traf en ukrainsk byret i Lviv (Retten i Halytskyi) afgørelse om varetægtsfængsling in absentia af Sigtede.
Den 22. marts 2024 blev han fremstillet i grundlovsforhør ved Retten i Holstebro, der afsagde kendelse om, at han skulle varetægtsfængsles med henblik på at sikre hans tilstedeværelse i forbindelse med eventuel senere udlevering til Ukraine. Byrettens kendelse blev den 23. marts 2024 stadfæstet af landsretten.
Den 5. april 2024 anmodede den ukrainske rigsadvokat (Prosecutor General´s Office) den danske rigsadvokat om udlevering af Sigtede til strafforfølgning … i Ukraine. Af udleveringsanmodningen fremgår bl.a.:
”2. Statement of the criminal offence(s) for which extradition is sought
The extradition of Sigtede from the Kingdom of Denmark is sought for the comission of a criminal offense provided for by …
3. Basis for the Extradition Request
For criminal prosecution. The criminal proceedings are at the stage of the pretrial inves-tigation.
On March 20, 2024, the Halytskyi District Court of Lviv City imposed a preventive measure on Sigtede in the form of detentio n (…).
4. Penalty
The penalty foreseen for a criminal offence provided for by …
…
5. Statement of facts comprising the criminal offence(s) for which extradition is sought
Sigtede, …
The circumstances of the offense incriminated to the mentioned person are described more specifically in the notice of suspicion, which is attached to the request.
…
7. Other
The Prosecutor General’ s Office as a central authority of Ukraine on extradition of per-sons at the stage of pre-trial investigation has the honor to provide the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Kingdom of Denmark with the following guarantees:
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-the request in connection with the criminal proceedings against Sigtede is not aimed at prosecuting on account of political motives or his race, religion, nationality;
-the said person will be prosecuted only for the criminal offense for which he will be extradited, and he will not be deported or surrendered to a third country;
-Sigtede will be given the right to a fair trial of the criminal proceedings as well as to legal defense and assistance of a lawyer;
-Should Sigtede be given a criminal punishment related to imprisonment, Ukraine guarantees compliance with the requirements of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950. In particular, the mentioned person will not be subjected to any treatment that may endanger his physical and mental integrity, and the conditions of imprisonment will not be inhumane or humiliating;
-Sigtede will be provided with appropriate remedies and free access to adequate medical care both at the penitentiary facility and outside of it, when necessary. In addition, the Ukrainian side guarantees that officials of the diplomatic mission or consular institution of the Kingdom of Denmark in Ukraine will have the opportunity to visit Sigtede in conditions of detention and that these meetings will not be subject to control.
…
In case of extradition of Sigtede to Ukraine, the pre-trial investigation and trial of the case against him will, as a general rule, be carried out in the city of Lviv.
In the event that a preventive measure in the form of detention is applied to the specified person, he will be placed in the detention center located closest to the place of criminal proceedings (Lviv region), which is in the western part of Ukraine.”
Den 12. april 2024 afhørte politiet Sigtede til belysning af, om betingelserne for udlevering var opfyldt. Af politiets rapport om undersøgelse af udleveringsbetingelserne, hvor hans forklaring er gengivet, fremgår bl.a.:
”Sigtede …
Sigtede var mere end 100 % sikker på, at han ville blive udsat for tortur eller anden umenneskelig eller nedværdigende behandling eller straf, således at der kunne aftvinges ham en tilståelse, men også i den fuldbyrdelse af straffen ville hans chancer for at slippe helskindet gennem være små.”
Ved brev af 16. april 2024 anmodede den danske rigsadvokat den ukrainske rigsadvokat om supplerende oplysninger om bl.a., hvilke forhold Sigtede, hvis han måtte blive udleveret til Ukraine, vil blive undergivet under varetægtsfængsling og eventuel afsoning. Af brevet fremgår bl.a.:
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”3. Against this background, the Director of Public Prosecutions kindly requests the Ukrainian authorities to provide the following supplementary information:
1)Information about in which prison Sigtede will be held in custody until the judgement is final and in which prison he will serve his sentence, if a sentence is imposed upon him.
2)Information about the facilities where Sigtede will be held in custody until the judgement is final and the facilities where he will serve his sentence, including the following:
personal
-the possibility of physical activity and recreation outside the cell
-access to natural light, ventilation and heating
-overcrowding
-sanitary facilities
-hygiene
-medical treatment and control of medical health.
3)A guarantee from the competent Ukrainian authorities that Sigtede, if extradited to Ukraine, will not be subjected to conditions that are in breach of article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights including information on what specific measures and conditions will be taken to prohibit that Sigtede will be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in the facilities where he will be detained.”
Ved brev af 6. maj 2024 fremsendte den ukrainske rigsadvokat supplerende oplysninger om de forhold, som Sigtede i givet fald vil være undergivet under varetægtsfængsling og eventuel afsoning. Af brevet fremgår bl.a.:
”Ukraine ha s established an Inter-Institutional Working Group comprising of the heads of relevant. In particular, the Working Group is aimed at streamlining and coordinating the implementation of reforms and policy actions directed at enhancing the safety and protection of fundamental human rights in penitentiary institutions.
A number of policy actions and their practical enforcement has taken place, which strengthens the protection of rights and safety of convicts/persons taken into custody, as well as those who were extradited. This includes:
1. All extradited persons are held in penitentiary institutions that are in significantly re-mote areas from where the active hostilities are taking place as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and equipped with neces-sary protective facilities.
…
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2. Measures are taken to improve the material and living conditions of detention in peni-tentiary institutions. In particular, during 2022-2023, a significant number of sleeping and sanitary units (baths and showers) were renovated, which improved the conditions of hygiene and sanitation.
…
3. In order to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and to prevent negative manifestations in the behavior of participants in criminal-executive re-lations, an effective video monitoring system is provided. In particular, the interaction between the staff and convicts/detainees is recorded by portable video recorders and video cameras. This helps to maintain law and order in penitentiary institutions.
4. Particular attention is paid to the identification and documentation of bodily injuries.
The form of recording bodily injuries in the outpatient medical record complies with the recommendations of the Istanbul Protocol on Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Information about bodily inju-ries is entered by the head of the medical unit or the medical officer on duty in the regis-ter of bodily injuries, which is kept in the relevant healthcare facility.
…
Regarding the custody facility where Sigtede will be placed in the event of his extradition to Ukraine during the pre-trial investigation and trial
In the event of extradition of Sigtede to Ukraine and the application of a preventive measure in the form of detention by the investigating judge, Sigtede will be placed in the state institution “Chortkiv Penitentiary Institution (No. 26)” , which is lo cated in the western part of Ukraine (Chortkiv city, Ternopil region) and significantly distant from the zone of active hostilities that began on 24.02.2022 as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine (photos are attached).
At present, the facilities of the buildings, structures and fence lines of the institution are intact and fulfil their functions as intended. The facility has two fallout shelters.
- Square meters of personal space in the cell
In the state institution “Chortkiv Penit entiary Institution (No. 26)” Sigtede will be placed in a cell that has been renovated and provides conditions that meet Ukrainian and international standards. In the cell, he will be provided with a personal space of at least 4 square meters.
- Possibility of physical activity and recreation outside the cell
In accordance with the law of Ukraine, prisoners have the right to take a daily walk in the fresh air for at least one hour. There are walking yards on the territory of the institu-tion for prisoners and convicts to walk. The exercise yards are equipped with sports equipment for physical exercises (horizontal bars, parallel bars). There are 12 prison yards in the state institution “Chortkiv Penitentiary Institution (No. 26)” .
-Access to natural light, ventilation and heating
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The cell is provided with inventory and equipment, and is equipped with forced ventila-tion and windows to ventilate the premises. The natural light in the cell is satisfactory and meets the needs of everyday life. The artificial light in the cell is sufficient, and prisoners can write or read without harming their eyesight. The institution is provided with individual heating from its own boiler room and centralised water supply. In addi-tion, autonomous power sources were purchased to ensure the autonomous operation of the institution in the event of a power outage in the city.
- Overcrowding
The living area of the cell is 8.9 square meters, with a separate bathroom of 3.6 square meters and is designed for two people.
- Sanitary facilities and hygiene
Persons taken into custody are provided with living conditions that meet the rules of sanitation and hygiene. They are provided with food, an individual bed, bedding and other types of material support free of charge according to the uniform standards estab-lished by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
The sanitary condition of the cell is satisfactory. The cell has a separate bathroom and shower. Water supply and sewerage networks are in good condition.
Bath and laundry services for persons held in penitentiary institutions and pretrial deten-tion centres are provided in accordance with the procedure established by the Regula-tion on the Organisation of Bath and Laundry Services for Persons Held in Penitentiary Institutions and Pre-Trial Detention Centres, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine No. 849/5 dated 08.06.2012, namely:
- Weekly bathing in the bathhouse with mandatory change of underwear, bed linen and towels;
- Washing of underwear and bed linen, towels, clothing, sanitary and other property (except socks);
- Repair of underwear and bed linen;
- Disinfection (disinfestation) of personal items and bedding;
- Hairdressing services.
Persons taken into custody are provided with soap, laundry detergent and other deter-gents for bathing, washing, sanitary and toilet needs in accordance with the norms es-tablished by law.
Regarding the place of serving the sentence where Sigtede will be placed in the event of his conviction for the alleged crimes
If sentenced to imprisonment, Sigtede will be sent to serve his sentence in one of the penitentiary institutions listed by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and located in the western part of Ukraine, namely, the state institution “Drohobych Correctional Col ony (No. 40)” or the state institution “Kolomyia Correctional Colony (No. 41)” , which are located in the western part of Ukraine and significantly distant from the zone of active hostilities.
…
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Information on the specific facilities where Sigtede will be held in custody in the event of his conviction for committing the incriminated crimes
Since the beginning of the military aggression of the Russian Federation, no shelling has been recorded on the territory of these institutions. Currently, the facilities, struc-tures, fence lines of the institutions are not damaged and perform their functions as in-tended. In the state institution “Drohobych Correctional Colony (No. 40)” there is a shelter to protect against possible shelling. There are two fallout shelters of civil defense purposes in the state institution “Kolomyia Correctional Colony (No. 41)” .
- Square meters of personal space in the cell
The standard for living space per convict is at least four square meters.
- The possibility of physical activity and recreation outside the cell
In their leisure time, convicts can take walks in the fresh air within the internal court-yard. There is a permission to install tables for playing table tennis, exercise bikes, car-dio and strength training machines in the courtyards of penal institutions, if available.
- Access to natural light, ventilation and heating
Residential premises are equipped with inventory and equipment, mandatory ventilation and windows for airing. The natural lighting of the premises is satisfactory and meets household needs. Artificial lighting is sufficient, prisoners are able to write or read without damage to their eyesight. Institutions are provided with their own heating from their condensing boilers and centralized water supply. In addition, for the purpose of au-tonomous operation of the institution, in the event of a blackout of the city’s ene rgy sys-tem, autonomous sources of electricity were purchased.
- Overcrowding
In the state institution “Drohobych Correctional Colony (No. 40)” , a cell usually ac-commodates two prisoners, in the st ate institution “Kolomyia Correctional Colon y (No. 41)” f rom 5 to 20 prisoners. At the same time, the norm of living space per convict is not less than four square meters.
Currently, separate blocks are being additionally built in these institutions to hold per-sons extradited to Ukraine.
- Sanitary facilities and hygiene
Convicts, as a rule, are kept in block-type premises. Bathrooms are separated from the living space. The sanitary condition of the premises is satisfactory. Water supply and sewage networks are in good condition.
Convicts are provided with an individual bed and bedding. They are provided with clothes, underwear and shoes according to the season, taking into account gender and weather conditions.
…
Guarantees that, in case of extradition to Ukraine, Sigtede will not be subjected to conditions that are in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950
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If Sigtede is extradited to Ukraine, we guarantee compliance with the requirements of the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950 (in particular, Articles 3 and 6) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1973 (in particular, Article 14).
He shall not be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punish-ment. Sigtede will be provided with the right to a fair trial of criminal proceedings, as well as to legal defence and the assistance of a lawyer.
In addition, the Ukrainian side guarantees that officials of the diplomatic mission or consular institution of the Kingdom of Denmark in Ukraine will have the opportunity to visit Sigtede in custody and that these meetings will not be subject to control.
The mentioned person will be able at any time to turn to such representatives who will have the opportunity to obtain from the state bodies of Ukraine information about the state of the criminal proceedings and to be present during the trial on the merits.
We also express our readiness to organize a visit by representatives of the diplomatic mission or consular institution of the Kingdom of Denmark in Ukraine to the peniten-tiary institutions where Sigtede will be held to get acquainted with their conditions. ”
Efter den danske rigsadvokats opfattelse ville Sigtede som følge af sit russiske statsborgerskab og sigtelsen … kunne være særligt sårbar. På den baggrund anmodede Rigsadvokaten ved breve af 27. juni 2024 og 1. august 2024 den ukrainske rigsadvokat om at oplyse, hvilke konkrete foranstaltninger de ukrainske myndigheder ville iværksætte for at sikre, at Sigtede som russisk statsborger ikke udsættes for behandling i strid med Den Europæiske
Menneskerettighedskonventions artikel 3 og 6. Den ukrainske rigsadvokat fremsendte oplysninger herom ved breve af 25. juli 2024 og 8. august 2024. Af brevet af 25. juli 2024 fremgår bl.a.:
”If Sigtede is extradited to Ukraine and the investigating judge applies a preventive measure in the form of detention of him, …
After the actual transfer to Ukraine, the said person will be immediately placed in the state institution ”Chortkiv Penitentiary Institution (No. 26)” in the we stern part of Ukraine (Chortkiv city, Ternopil region), which has an effective video monitoring sys-tem in place to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and to prevent negative manifestations in the behavior of participants in penal relations. In par-ticular, the interaction between the staff and the convicts and persons taken into custody is recorded by portable video recorders and video cameras. This contributes to the ob-servance of law and order in this institution.
Particular attention is paid to the identification and documentation of bodily injuries.”
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Af den ukrainske rigsadvokats brev af 8. august 2024 fremgår bl.a.:
”In the event of Sigtedes extradition to Ukraine, the Prosecutor General's Office, as the central authority of Ukraine for extradition of persons at the pre-trial investigation stage, guarantees the observance of all the rights of the extradited person provided for by the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950, in particular Articles 3 and 6.
Thus, the Ukrainian side guarantees that in the event of a real threat to Sigtedes life or health, he will be provided with adequate security.
I would like to inform you that ensuring the security of persons involved in criminal proceedings, i.e. in the detection, prevention, termination, disclosure or investigation of criminal offences, as well as in the judicial consideration of criminal proceedings, is regulated, in particular, by the Law of Ukraine «On Ensuring the Security of Persons Involved in Criminal Proceedings».
This Law provides for, among other things, the following security measures:
-Personal protection;
-Issuance of special means of warning of danger;
-Use of technical means of control, visual surveillance;
-Replacement of documents;
-Ensuring the confidentiality of personal data;
-Closed court proceedings.
In addition, the following measures may be taken to ensure the safety of prisoners:
-Separate detention;
-Transfer to another penitentiary institution or pre-trial detention facility or to an-other place with a special regime of detention.
According to this Law, Sigtede will be able at any time to apply to the investigator, prosecutor or court with a motion for the application of these security measures.
An important guarantee of ensuring the safety of participants in criminal proceedings is also the existence in the Criminal Code of Ukraine of liability for failure to take security measures in respect of persons taken under protection (Article 380 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and disclosure of information about security measures in respect of a person taken under protection (Article 381 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The Ukrainian side guarantees that Sigtede will have the right to confidential meetings and consultations with his defence counsel in the place of detention.
Moreover, in order to ensure communication, Sigtede will be provided with the opportunity to use a paid service for Internet access and voice electronic communication using IP telephony.
Sigtede will have the right to meet with relatives or other persons at least three times a month, lasting from one to four hours.
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The Ukrainian side also guarantees the registration and proper consideration of each of his appeals concerning the conditions of his detention and treatment.
Besides, Sigtede will be guaranteed the right to a fair and public trial within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court, as well as to legal defence and assistance of a counsel, in particular:
-Sigtede will be informed in detail, in a language he understands, of the nature and reasons for the charges against him;
-He will be given the time and opportunity necessary to prepare his defence, as well as the opportunity to defend himself in person or to use legal assistance of a de-fence counsel of his own choosing, or to receive such assistance free of charge, when justice so requires;
-Sigtede will be granted the right to receive the free assistance of an interpreter, in case the language used in court is incomprehensible to him;
-He will be granted the right to question prosecution witnesses or to demand that they be questioned, as well as to demand that defence witnesses be summoned and questioned under the same conditions as prosecution witnesses.
At all stages of the criminal proceeding, Sigtede will be provided with the participation of a defence counsel of his choice, and in the absence of the possibility to provide a paid defence counsel, he will be provided with a free one.
The Ukrainian side assures that the criminal proceeding against the extradited person will comply with all international human rights standards in suc h process.”
På baggrund heraf indbragte Rigsadvokaten den 21. august 2024 sagen i medfør af udleve-ringslovens § 35, stk. 1, for Retten i Holstebro med indstilling om, at retten traf afgørelse om udlevering af Sigtede til Ukraine til strafforfølgning. Under udleveringssagens behandling ved byretten forklarede Sigtede supplerende:
”… Det ved han, fordi han, da han var kommet til Danmark, fik en opringning fra Person 1's fætter, som fortalte, at Person 1 var blevet anholdt. Person 1's fætter sagde, at politifolkene havde slået Person 1 hver dag. De vil lave en falsk sag mod ham (Sigtede), for de har ikke andre informationer til støtte derfor. Person 1 var tilbageholdt i Lviv-regionen.”
Den 26. august 2024 afsagde Retten i Holstebro kendelse om, at Sigtede skulle udleveres til Ukraine. Af kendelsen fremgår:
”Sagen angår, om Sigtede, som er russisk statsborger, kan udleveres til Ukraine.
… Sigtede er i Ukraine …
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Der er i Ukraine truffet afgørelse om varetægtsfængsling in absentia og anmodning om udlevering af Sigtede.
Betingelserne i udleveringslovens § 19 og § 20 er herefter opfyldt.
Sigtede har nægtet sig skyldig og henvist til, at en navngiven person har fortalt, at myndighederne i Ukraine vil lave en falsk sag mod Sigtede, og at myndighederne har udsat personen for tortur for at skaffe beviser mod Sigtede. Efter det, som i øvrigt er oplyst i udleveringsbegæringen, herunder om at en ukrainsk domstol har fundet grundlag for at træffe afgørelse om varetægtsfængsling, finder retten, at der ikke herefter foreligger sådanne særlige omstændigheder, at der på det foreliggende grundlag er rimelig tvivl om Sigtedes skyld.
Udleveringslovens § 23 er herefter ikke til hinder for udlevering.
Det er ubestridt, at de strafbare forhold ikke er omfattet af lovens §§ 25-27, og at betin-gelserne i udleveringslovens §§ 2-5 heller ikke er til hinder for udlevering.
Spørgsmålet er herefter, om der foreligger forhold, som efter udleveringslovens § 6 danner grundlag for, at der ikke kan ske udlevering.
De ukrainske myndigheder har i udleveringsanmodningen af 5. april 2024 og brev af 8. august 2024 garanteret, at alle rettigheder i Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskon-vention (EMRK), herunder navnlig artikel 3 og 6, overholdes.
Det er videre anført, at Sigtede, hvis han udleveres til Ukraines, kun vil blive retsforfulgt for den sigtelse, som han søges udleveret til, at han ikke vil blive udsendt eller udleveret til et tredje land, at han vil have ret til en retfærdig og offentlig rettergang for en uafhængig dommer, herunder at han vil have ret til en forsvarer, tolkebistand og kontradiktion, at han kun vil kunne blive idømt en straf i form af fængsel, og at straffen vil overholde kravene i Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonvention, herunder særligt at han ikke vil blive udsat for en behandling, der vil være til fare for hans fysiske eller psykiske helbred eller være inhuman eller nedværdigende.
Rigsadvokaten har oplyst, at Sigtede ikke udleveres, mens han har en verserende asylsag her i landet.
Herefter og efter det oplyste om sigtelsens karakter er udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 1, ikke til hinder for udlevering.
Europarådets Torturkomité (CPT) har den 26. april 2024 efter et besøg i Ukraine, her-under i en række fængsler, efter den russiske invasion afgivet en rapport. Komiteén har overordnet anerkendt de ukrainske myndigheders betydelige indsats for at sikre ordent-lige forhold for frihedsberøvede personer i denne ekstremt vanskelige tid og har frem-hævet en ny ukrainsk strategi for reformering af fængselsvæsenet og handlingsplanen for implementering af strategien.
Herefter og efter det, som i øvrigt er anført i rapporten, i udleveringsanmodningen af 5. april 2024 og i brev af 6. maj 2024 om placering af arresthus og fængsel, fysiske for-
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hold i arresthus og fængsel og garantierne fra de ukrainske myndigheder samt oplysnin-gerne fra Udenrigsministeriet af 18. juni 2024 og fra Danmark Ambassade i Kyiv finder retten, at der ikke foreligger hindringer for udlevering efter udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2.
Der er herved også lagt vægt på oplysningerne fra Udlændinge- og Integrationsministe-riet om baggrunden for, at de danske myndigheder ikke gennemfører tvangsmæssige udsendelser af udviste udlændinge til Ukraine og om, hvordan gennemførelsen af afgø-relser om udlevering til Ukraine finder sted.
De ukrainske myndigheder har som anført garanteret, at Sigtedes rettigheder i Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonvention (EMRK), herunder navnlig artikel 3 og 6, overholdes.
Det er videre anført, at Sigtede vil have ret til en retfærdig og offentlig rettergang inden for rimelig tid med juridisk bistand af en forsvarsadvokat, som han har ret til at holde fortrolige møder med, at han navnlig vil blive detaljeret informeret om karakteren af og årsagen til sigtelsen mod ham i et sprog, han forstår, at han vil have ret til den nødvendige tid til at forberede sit forsvar, herunder at forsvare sig selv eller antage juridisk bistand samt ret til tolkning betalt af den ukrainske stat, samt ret til kontradiktion, og at han under alle sagens skridt få tildelt en forsvarsadvokat efter sit eget valg. Herudover har de ukrainske myndigheder garanteret, at den strafferetlige forfølgning mod Sigtede vil ske i overensstemmelse med alle internationale menneskerettighedsstandarder for en sådan proces.
Herefter og efter indholdet af brev af 18. juni 2024 fra Udenrigsministeriet med udtalel-se fra Danmarks Ambassade i Kyiv, oplysningerne i EU-kommissionens rapport af 8. november 2023 om Ukraine finder retten, at en udlevering ikke vil stride mod Dan-marks internationale forpligtelser, herunder retten til retfærdig rettergang i Den Europæ-iske Menneskeretskonventions artikel 6.
Udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 3, er derfor heller ikke til hinder for udlevering.
Retten har ved vurderingerne overordnet lagt vægt på, at der ikke er grundlag for gene-relt at betvivle troværdigheden af de diplomatiske garantier, som i flere tilfælde støttes af oplysninger fra andre kilder.
Anklagemyndighedens anmodning om, at retten træffer afgørelse om udlevering af Sigtede til Ukraine tages derfor til følge.
Udlevering sker på de vilkår, der er angivet i udleveringslovens § 29.
Statskassen skal betale sagens omkostninger, jf. udleveringslovens § 34, stk. 2, 1. pkt.”
Den 3. september 2024 kærede Sigtede kendelsen til Vestre Landsret.
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Den 16. september 2024 ændrede landsretten byrettens kendelse, således at Sigtede ikke skulle udleveres til strafforfølgning i Ukraine. Af kendelsen fremgår:
”Sagen angår udlevering af Sigtede til strafforfølgning i Ukraine i henhold til de ukrainske myndigheders anmodning herom. Sigtede, der er russisk statsborger, er i Ukraine sigtet for
…
Spørgsmålet for landsretten er alene, om der foreligger forhold, som indebærer, at udle-vering skal nægtes i medfør af udleveringslovens § 6.
Det er oplyst, at Sigtede ikke vil blive udleveret, inden hans asylsag er færdigbehandlet. Udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 1, er derfor ikke til hinder for udlevering.
På baggrund af navnlig oplysningerne fra Europarådets Torturkomité (CPT) er der grund til at frygte, at forholdene i de ukrainske fængsler kan indebære nærliggende risi-ko for krænkelse af Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonventions artikel 3.
De ukrainske myndigheder har afgivet garantier om, at de fysiske rammer i de fængsler, hvor Sigtede vil skulle være varetægtsfængslet og eventuelt afsone, lever op til de internationale konventioner, og at Sigtede heller ikke på anden vis vil blive udsat for en behandling i strid med Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonventions artikel 3.
Spørgsmålet er derfor, om disse garantier er tilstrækkelige til at fjerne enhver reel risiko for, at Sigtede bliver udsat for forhold, der er omfattet af artikel 3, hvis han udleveres, jf. Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedsdomstols dom af 17. januar 2012 i sagen Othman (Abu Qatada) mod Det Forenede Kongerige, præmis 192. Om den vurdering, der skal foretages, fremgår af Menneskerettighedsdomstolens dom af 29. april 2022 i sagen Khasanov og Rakhmanov mod Rusland, præmis 101, in fine:
”How ever, assurances are not in themselves sufficient to ensure adequate protection against the risk of ill-treatment. There is an obligation to examine whether assurances provide, in their practical application, a sufficient guarantee that the applicant will be protected against the risk of ill-treatment. The weight to be given to assurances from the receiving State depends, in each case, on the circumstances prevailing at the material time (ibid., § 187).”
Garantierne vedrørende behandlingen af Sigtede skal bedømmes i lyset af den situation, som Ukraine befinder sig i som følge af, at landet i mere end to et halvt år har været og fortsat er i krig efter at være invaderet af Rusland. Krigen indebærer blandt andet, at der i dele af landet er undtagelsestilstand, og at der er angreb i hele landet, således også i den vestlige del, hvor Sigtede forventes placeret. Kamphandlingerne udvikler sig hele tiden. Udenrigsministeriet fraråder alle rejser til Ukraine, og Danmark foretager ikke tvangsmæssige udsendelser til Ukraine.
Det bemærkes endvidere, at den svenske højesteret i en afgørelse af 31. oktober 2023 (sag nr. B 3926-23) har fundet, at udlevering til Ukraine af en person, der var sigtet for vold mod tjenestemand, vil være i strid med Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskon-
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ventions artikel 3, jf. nærmere præmis 15-22, uanset i øvrigt at de ukrainske myndighe-der også i den sag havde afgivet en garanti om, at den pågældendes menneskerettighe-der ville blive overholdt.
Efter en samlet vurdering finder landsretten, at de garantier, der er afgivet af de ukrain-ske myndigheder, ikke kan anses for i tilstrækkeligt omfang at imødegå faren for, at Sigtede efter en udlevering vil blive udsat for forhold i strid med Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonventions artikel 3.
Udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2, er derfor til hinder for udlevering. Der er herefter ikke grund til at tage stilling til, om udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 3, er til hinder for udlevering.
Landsretten ændrer derfor byrettens kendelse, således at begæringen om udlevering ikke tages til følge.”
Rapporter mv. om fængselsforholdene i Ukraine
FN’s Torturkomité afgav i maj 2025 afslutt ende bemærkninger til den syvende periodiske rapport om Ukraines implementering af konventionen mod tortur og anden grusom, umenne-skelig eller nedværdigende behandling eller straf. Det fremgår heraf bl.a.:
”17. The Committee notes the State party´s commitment and measures taken to abide by international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the context of the ongoing armed conflict and occupation, as well as the information provided by the del-egation about the ministerial orders issued on the escort, treatment and protection of the prisoners of war, among other things. However, it is concerned by reports indicating:
…
(b) Acts of torture and ill-treatment and arbitrary detentions allegedly inflicted on the so-called “conflict -related de tainees” charge d with collaboration and other national se-curity-related offences by law enforcement, notably the State Security Service officers, during apprehension or interrogation stage, including to extract confessions or infor-mation, which on some occasions took place in unofficial places in several regions, alt-hough it also notes the State party’s negation of the existence of such unofficial places; the reported lack of investigations into such allegations; and, the vague and overly broad definition of the crime of collaboration under article 111-1 of the Criminal Code. The Committee notes the existing draft law to amend this article, as informed by the delegation;
…
Conditions of detention
21. While taking note of the information provided by the State party regarding the adop-tion of the Penitentiary System Reform Strategy (2022 – 2026) and the establishment of the expert council for the penitentiary system, as well as the decrease in the overall pris-on population since the consideration of the Sta te party’s prev ious periodic report, the
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Committee remains concerned about the underfunding of the penitentiary system, as well as the following long-term structural issues in the State party’s prisons:
(a) A high number of persons held in pretrial detention which contributes to the persis-tent overcrowding in pretrial detention facilities, even though the Committee notes the allocated funds to build a new pretrial detention facility in Kyiv, as informed by the del-egation; In addition, poor and unsanitary material and living conditions have been re-ported in many old prison facilities;
…
Prison security and deaths in custody
23. While taking note of the formal abolishment of practice of “duty prisoners”
Den ukrainske parlamentariske kommissær for menneskerettigheder afgav den 10. marts 2025 en udtalelse til brug for den nævnte rapport. Af en uofficiel oversættelse af udtalelsen fremgår bl.a.:
”Regarding question 27 – on human rights violations in penitentiary institutions
In accordance with the current national legislation, namely part 2 of Article 11 of the Law of Ukraine "On Pre-Trial Detention" and part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Ex-ecutive Code of Ukraine, the established norm of the area of chamber (residential) premises should be at least 2.5 m2 for persons taken into custody, and at least 4 m2 for convicts.
The results of visits by NPM groups during 2024 indicate that in most penitentiary insti-tutions there remains a problematic situation with violations of the norms of the area per prisoner or convict.
…
Since 2014, at the initiative of the leadership of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the activities of 41 penitentiary institutions (the total number at the beginning of 2014 is 182 institutions), convicted, have been gradually suspended, and transferred to institu-tions in other regions for further serving their sentences.
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Thus, the excessive number of convicts in correctional colonies leads to violations of the norms of the area.
…
The administrations of penitentiary institutions still delegate functions and powers of the staff of penitentiary institutions to individual convicts, as provided for by the legal acts.
…
This practice exposes weaker convicts to the risk of ill-treatment and exploitation by convicts who hold the position of a day worker or senior day worker. Such delegation is essentially a relinquishment of responsibility for security and order, which lies with the administration of correctional facilities.
…
The most widespread human rights violation in penitentiary institutions is inadequate material and living conditions for prisoners and convicts. The visits revealed that most of the violations include: lack of privacy, limited access to fresh air and clean drinking water, non-compliance with temperature and lighting requirements in the premises where inmates a re held.”
Center for Dokumentation og Indsats mod Ekstremisme, der hører under Udlændingestyrel-sen, offentliggjorde i december 2024 sin seneste rapport om fængselsforholdene i Ukraine. Rapporten skal anvendes af de danske udlændingemyndigheder ved behandling af ansøgnin-ger om asyl. Af rapporten fremgår bl.a.:
”Executive summary
Independent monitoring of Ukrainian prisons remains accessible to international and lo-cal human rights organisations, though some isolated restrictions apply.
The war has stra ined Ukraine’s already under -resourced prison system, impacting con-ditions, security and basic supplies. Since the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has lost 20 % of its prison population, with some facilities under Russian control or destroyed. To ad-dress shortages in manpower, a law now allows certain prisoners to enlist in the armed forces. As of mid-2024, over 3,000 prisoners have joined, with a government goal of enlisting around 10,000.
Ukraine has established new detention facilities, including prisoners of war (POW) camps and disciplinary battalions. …
Living conditions in Ukrainian pre-trial detention centres (SIZO) have not improved, with overcrowding, limited access to medical care and inadequate hygiene conditions persisting. The introduction of paid cells has provided some inmates with better ac-commodations, but the majority face substandard conditions, especially near conflict zones. Despite limited changes to legislation, detainees can remain in SIZO for pro-
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longed periods. Issues of overcrowding have worsened with new categories of detainees such as military personnel. Vulnerable groups and women’s facilities have particular needs that remain unmet, although some positive steps like online legal consultations have been introduced in select locations.
Living conditions for sentenced prisoners in Ukraine are impacted by the war, with many facilities experiencing overcrowding, poor sanitation and deteriorating infrastruc-ture. Access to healthcare remains inadequate, worsened by staff shortages, and prison labour often involves exploitation without fair compensation.
Instances of violence arise from poor conditions. Despite isolated improvements, over-all prisoner access to meaningful activities, contact with the outside world and neces-sary healthcare remains limited, with issues such as the misuse of solitary confinement persisting.
Russian POWs in Ukraine have access to healthcare, hygiene and basic amenities, though some reports of ill-treatment exist.
…
There are reports of ill-treatment and torture against remand prisoners and sentenced prisoners committed by prison staff and so-called ‘administrative assistants’ from among the convicts.
Ukraine's judiciary faces issues with corruption, political pressure and undue trial de-lays, although recent reforms aim to improve judicial independence. While detainees have a right to legal support, access to quality legal aid is often hindered, particularly near frontline areas. Reports of torture to extract confessions exist but are not wide-spread. Prisoner transfers have raised concerns, with complaints about poor conditions, prolonged durations and in some cases humiliating treatment. Sources reported that im-punity among prison staff is widespread.
…
2. Impact of the war on prisons in Ukraine
…
Even before the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian penitentiary system was lacking re-sources. The war has significantly worsened prison conditions and weakened the State Penitentiary Service's ability to maintain security, safety and meet the basic needs of inmates. The MoJ stated that since February 2022, the country has lost 20 % of its pris-on population. Additionally, 12 prisons have reportedly come under Russian control, while three prisons have been destroyed. As a precautionary measure, 5,000 prisoners have been relocated from 12 prisons in the east to central and western regions of Ukraine.
…
7.2 The use of torture or coercion to obtain confessions
There have been accounts of law enforcement and military officials abusing, and in some cases torturing, detainees to extract confessions, often linked to suspected collabo-ration with Russia. …”
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Europarådets Torturkomité offentliggjorde den 26. april 2024 en rapport til den ukrainske regering om komitéens besøg i Ukraine fra den 16. til den 27. oktober 2023. Det fremgår her-af bl.a.:
”EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This was the first visit to Ukraine by the CPT since the beginning of the full-scale mili-tary aggression by the Russian Federation in February 2022 and, from the outset, the Committee wishes to place on record the considerable efforts of the Ukrainian authori-ties to provide adequate conditions to persons deprived of their liberty in these extreme-ly difficult times.
…
Prison establishments
…
However, the visit revealed that the long-standing phenomenon of informal prisoner hierarchy was still prevalent throughout the Ukrainian prison system. In this context, the situation of persons considered to b e “humiliated” , that is, those who fin d themselves at the bottom of this hierarchy, remains a matter of serious concern to the CPT. These prisoners continued to be rejected by the mainstream prison population and were re-quired by the hierarchy’s “code of conduct” to comply with a range of res trictions (for example, to avoid any physical contact with other prisoners, not to use communal facili-ties, etc.). Moreover, such prisoner s were frequently compelled to perform “dirty” work (such as cleaning toilets and collecting rubbish) for which they were not paid.
In some of the prisons visited, the general policy was to separate this category of pris-oners from the general inmate population for protection reasons, grouping them together in dedicated cells. In some other establishments, however, no such policy was in place; as a result, the “low caste” prisoners were often exposed to a risk of violence, intimida-tion and exploitation by their cellmates. …
…
I. INTRODUCTION
…
C. National Preventive Mechanism
…
10. Before setting out the findings of the visit, the CPT would like to stress that it is mindful of the tremendous challenges faced by the Ukrainian authorities in light of the full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation. The Committee wishes to place on rec-ord the authorities’ considera ble efforts to provide adequate conditions to persons de-prived of their liberty in these extremely difficult times.
…
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B. Prison establishments
1. Preliminary remarks
36. The CPT welcomes the continued efforts made by the Ukrainian authorities over the past 25 years to reduce the country’s prison population. ...
However, the CPT noted that the proportion of remand prisoners had remained high, amounting to some 36% of the total prison population. The Committee is aware that this situation is at least partially related to the acute shortage of judges in Ukraine in the con-text of the ongoing judicial reforms, which has resulted in a considerable backlog of criminal cases and lengthy court proceedings. As will be described in more detail later in this report (see paragraphs 49, 50, 51 and 53), at the time of the visit, many remand prisoners continued to be held in overcrowded conditions for prolonged periods of time.
The CPT recommends that the Ukrainian authorities pursue their efforts to reduce the prison population and thereby combat overcrowding in penitentiary establishments. In particular, steps should be taken to ensure a more restrictive approach to the use of re-mand in custody by setting strict limits on its use and encouraging a greater use of al-ternative noncustodial measures, taking due account of the relevant recommendations of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. …
37. The CPT noted with interest that a new ‘Penit entiary Reform Strategy until 2026 ’ had been approved by the Ukrainian Government in December 2022. Recognising the importance of relevant international norms and standards in this area, including CPT standards, the Strategy envisages a series of measures – including of a legislative nature – aimed at increasing the efficiency of the penal enforcement system and defines a number of priority objectives, such as:
-providing appropriate conditions of detention in penitentiary establishments (including by gradual transition from large-capacity dormitories to smaller living units);
-ensuring the safety of persons held in penitentiary establishments and preventing all forms of ill-treatment, and guaranteeing good order and security within such establishments;
-improving the provision of healthcare to prisoners;
…
2. Ill-treatment
40. The delegation received no allegations of recent ill-treatment by staff in any of the prison establishments visited. The vast majority of the prisoners interviewed stated that staff members treated them correctly.
41. Further, physical violence between prisoners did not seem to be a major problem in most of the establishments visited. …
…
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47. In its previous visit reports, the CPT called upon the Ukrainian authorities to put an
3. Conditions of detention of the general prison population
a. material conditions
48. Most of the prisons visited by the delegation in the course of the 2023 visit were lo-cated in old buildings which had not undergone any major refurbishment for years, if not decades. As a result, the bulk of the prisoner accommodation in these establishments was in a poor state of repair. Having almost no budget allocations for even minor re-pairs, the management of the prisons were seeking financial support from alternative sources – such as charities, funds received from paid cells (see paragraph 59) or prison-er’s own resources – to finance sporadic renovations.
…
In light of the remarks in paragraphs 49 to 57 above, the CPT calls upon the Ukrainian authorities to take the necessary measures to improve material conditions of detention in the prisons visited, in order to ensure that:
-occupancy rates are reduced so that all multiple-occupancy cells offer at least 4 m2
of living space per prisoner (not counting the area taken up by in-cell toilets). Ref-erence is also made in this regard to the recommendation in paragraph 38;
-all prisoner accommodation areas, including sanitary facilities, are kept in an ade-
quate state of repair and hygiene and are disinfested on a regular and frequent ba-sis;
-cells have sufficient access to natural light and ventilation and in-cell sanitary fa-
cilities are fully partitioned (i.e. from floor to ceiling);
-all prisoners are provided with appropriate bedding and have access to a shower at least twice a week.”
Det amerikanske udenrigsministerium (United States Department of State) offentliggjorde den 22. april 2024 en landerapport om menneskerettighederne i Ukraine i 2023, hvoraf fremgår bl.a.:
”Executive Summary
…
There were also significant human rights issues involving Ukrainian government offi-cials, although not comparable to the scope of Russia’s abuses, which included credible reports of: enforced disappearance; torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; harsh and lifethreatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with the independenc e of the judiciary; …
…
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The government often did not take adequate steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed abuses.
…
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses
Although the constitution and law prohibited torture and other cruel and unusual pun-ishment, there were reports law enforcement authorities engaged in such abuse. There were reports law enforcement and military officials abused and, at times, tortured per-sons in custody to obtain confessions, usually related to alleged collaboration with Rus-sia.
…
Prison and Detention Center Conditions
Prison and detention center conditions remained poor and at times posed a serious threat to the life and health of prisoners. Physical abuse, lack of proper medical care and nutri-tion, poor sanitation, and lack of adequate light were persistent problems.
Inmates reported authorities and so-called assistants from the inmate population used cruel and de grading treatment, as well as physical and sexual violence.”
Europa-Kommissionen offentliggjorde den 8. november 2023 en landerapport om Ukraine, hvoraf fremgår bl.a.:
”On the prevention of torture and ill treatment, in 2022 Ukraine amended relevant leg-islation by changing approaches to the use of forced feeding of convicts and detainees, strengthening responsibility for acts of torture and introducing a mechanism for the conditional early release for people sentenced to life imprisonment. Despite these legal improvements, torture and ill treatment remains a systemic fea ture of Ukraine’s prison system. In addition, the main recommendations of the European Committee for the Pre-vention of Torture issued in its 2020 report have not been addressed. These covered among others poor material conditions of detention and the need to transfer medical care in prison to the general health system and should be addressed.
…
… The ineffective investi gation into allegations of torture and cases of obstruction of justice are rooted among others in a general culture of mutual protection of law en-forcement officers within the criminal justice system.
…
The prison system and detention centres remain an issue of concern. The prison popula-tion has fallen sharply in recent years, from 60 621 in 2017 to 42 694 in December 2022. Despite this positive trend, most of the long-standing problems identified by the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Eur ope’s C ommittee of Ministers and
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the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture remain. The issues are primarily linked to the material conditions of detention, very poor healthcare services, the use of detainees for prison duties and the widespread use of violence by guards. The peniten-tiary system was already under-resourced before Russia’s war of aggression and since many facilities have been badly damaged and some completely destroyed, complicating also the provision of basic services. Despite the national strategy on human rights of 2021 and the multi-annual strategy for reforming the prison system of 2022, the key challenges facing it have not been addressed. The poor detention conditions in Ukraine have at times served as grounds for foreign courts to refuse extradition requests from Ukrainian institutions. This undermines Ukraine’s fight against serious crime, including corrupti on and organised crime.”
Udtalelse fra Udenrigsministeriet om situationen i Ukraine
Af en udtalelse fra Udenrigsministeriet af 14. juni 2024 fremgår om den generelle situation i regionerne Ternopil, Lviv og Ivano-Frankivsk – hvor de institutioner, som Sigtede i tilfælde af udlevering vil blive frihedsberøvet i, er placeret – bl.a.:
”Den danske amb assade i Kyiv vurderer på baggrund af egne hyppige erfaringer fra be-søg i Vestukraine og fra eksterne kilder, at de provinser Ternopil, Lviv og Ivano-Frankivsk er blandt de områder i Ukraine, hvor dagliglivet er mindst påvirket af den russiske invasion. Offentlige myndigheder og tjenester – herunder sundhedsvæsenet og retsvæsenet – fungerer, og tilsvarende gælder for den private sektor. Mange virksomhe-der fra frontlinjeområderne i Østukraine har flyttet deres aktiviteter til Vestukraine af sikkerhedsgrunde. Der er også mange internt fordrevne fra kampzonerne, der af samme grund har slået sig ned i de tre provinser.
Krigen mærkes i de tre provinser i dagligdagen primært gennem luftangreb mod især kritisk energiinfrastruktur, som rammer hele Ukraine i øjeblikket. Angrebene kan ud-over den evt. direkte skade medføre kortvarende strømafbrydelser, indtil nødreparatio-ner er gennemført. Som følge af afstanden til affyringsstederne er varslingstiden noget længere end i Østukraine. Generelt har Ukraine et velfungerende varslingssystem for luftangreb, og efter mere end to års krig er procedurerne ved luftalarmer veletablerede i f.eks. skoler og andre offentlige institutioner. Luftforsvaret har visse begrænsninger. Det står stærkest i Kyiv, men selv der kan ikke alle angreb afværges. I provinserne, her-under de vestlige, er luftforsvaret mindre effektivt end i Kyiv.
Som overalt i Ukraine er dagliglivet desuden påvirket af udskrivninger af mænd i den våbenføre alder til de væbnede styrker, ligesom der hersker undtagelsestilstand og natlig spærretid, typisk fra midnat til kl. 5:00 (l okale variationer).”
Retsgrundlaget
Udleveringsloven
Udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2, lyder:
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”§ 6…
Stk. 2. Udlevering kan endvidere ikke finde sted, hvis der er fare for, at den pågældende efter udleveringen vil blive udsat for tortur eller anden umenneskelig eller nedværdi-gende beha ndling eller straf.”
Bestemmelsen blev videreført ved lov nr. 117 af 11. februar 2020, som erstattede den tidligere udleveringslov, jf. lovbekendtgørelse nr. 833 af 25. august 2005 om udlevering af lovovertræ-dere.
I de almindelige bemærkninger til lovforslaget hedder det bl.a. (Folketingstidende 2019-20, tillæg A, lovforslag nr. L 78, pkt. 3.2.4, s. 46-48):
”3.2.4. Fare for forfølgelse på grund af afstamning eller politisk opfattelse mv. samt ri-siko for tortur
3.2.4.1. Gældende ret
…
Det fremgår desuden af udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2, § 10 h, stk. 2, og § 10 n, jf. § 10 h, stk. 2, at udlevering ikke må finde sted, hvis der er fare for, at den pågældende efter ud-leveringen vil blive udsat for tortur eller anden umenneskelig eller nedværdigende be-handling.
3.2.4.1.1. Udlevering til stater uden for Norden og Den Europæiske Union
…
Udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2, der er indsat i udleveringsloven ved lov nr. 433 af 10. juni 2003 om ændring af lov om udlevering af lovovertrædere og lov om udlevering af lov-overtrædere til Finland, Island, Norge og Sverige (Gennemførelse af EU-rammeafgørelse om den europæiske arrestordre m.v.) som en præcisering af gældende ret, svarer til artikel 3 i Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonvention, hvorefter in-gen må underkastes tortur eller umenneskelig eller nedværdigende behandling eller straf. …
3.2.4.2. Justitsministeriets overvejelser og den foreslåede ordning
Lovforslagets § 6 viderefører de gældende bestemmelser i udleveringslovens §§ 6, 10 h og 10 n, jf. § 10 h, og der er med lovforslaget ikke tilsigtet ændringer i den gældende retstilstand.
…”
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Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonventions artikel 3
Menneskerettighedskonventionens artikel 3 har følgende ordlyd:
”Artikel 3
Ingen må underkastes tortur og ej heller umenneskelig eller nedværdigende behandling eller straf.”
Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedsdomstols dom af 17. januar 2012 i sagen Othman mod
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risk of ill-treatment. The weight to be given to assurances from the receiving State de-
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“1. General principles establ ishe d in the Court’s case -law
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Anbringender
Anklagemyndigheden har anført navnlig, at udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2 og 3, jf. Den Euro-pæiske Menneskerettighedskonventions artikel 3 og 6, ikke er til hinder for udlevering.
Sigtede vil, hvis han udleveres, under varetægtsfængsling og eventuel afsoning blive placeret i regionerne Ternopil, Lviv eller Ivano-Frankivsk. Disse tre regioner ligger i den mere fredelige vestlige del af Ukraine, hvor dagliglivet er mindre påvirket af den russiske invasion. Der er således ikke tale om en sådan ekstremt alvorlig situation i hele Ukraine, at det allerede af den grund vil være i strid med Menneskerettighedskonventionens artikel 3 at udlevere ham.
De oplysninger, som anklagemyndigheden i sagen har indhentet hos den ukrainske rigsadvo-kat, må lægges til grund, jf. også Højesterets kendelse af 2. maj 2018 (UfR 2018.2632). For så vidt angår fængselsforholdene kan det herefter lægges til grund, at Sigtede under frihedsberøvelsen vil få minimum 4 m2 personligt areal til rådighed. Cellerne vil have bl.a. ventilation, vinduer, dagslys, vand og varme, og der er separat toilet. Han vil derudover have mulighed for at gå ture i fængslets gårdhaver og benytte fængslets motionscykler, træningsmaskiner mv. Der er desuden adgang til akut medicinsk assistance hele døgnet. Han vil endvidere modtage den nødvendige beskyttelse, såfremt der er en reel trussel mod hans liv eller helbred. Beskyttelsen kan bl.a. omfatte personlig beskyttelse, visuel overvågning, sikring af fortrolighed om personlige oplysninger, behandling af straffesagen for lukkede døre, ligesom der vil være mulighed for at blive flyttet til et andet fængsel.
For så vidt angår retten til en retfærdig rettergang kan det lægges til grund bl.a., at Sigtede vil få juridisk bistand fra en forsvarsadvokat, som han kan holde fortrolige møder med, og han vil have ret til tolkebistand, som betales af den ukrainske stat.
Der er ikke grundlag for at betvivle de diplomatiske garantier, som de ukrainske myndigheder har afgivet. Garantierne er lagt frem og indeholder specifikke og detaljerede oplysninger om de forhold, som vil gælde for Sigtede. Garantierne er afgivet af en central myndighed, og de lokale myndigheder må derfor forventes at efterleve dem. Ukraine har tiltrådt Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonvention, og Ukraine er på kandidatlisten til optagelse i EU, ligesom Ukraine og Danmark har en længerevarende og stærk relation. Ukraine har derudover et effektivt system for at forhindre tortur, bl.a. med videoovervågning og indberetning af skader
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på indsatte, og Ukraine samarbejder med bl.a. Europarådets Torturkomité. Endelig har de ukrainske myndigheder garanteret, at Danmark uovervåget kan besøge Sigtede og følge straffesagens behandling ved domstolene.
De diplomatiske garantier er således tilstrækkelige til at sikre, at Sigtede kan udleveres, uden at Danmark herved krænker Menneskerettighedskonventionens artikel 3 og 6.
Sigtede har anført navnlig, at de oplysninger om fængselsforholdene, som den ukrainske rigsadvokat er kommet med, herunder de diplomatiske garantier, ikke i tilstrækkelig grad sikrer hans rettigheder efter udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2, og Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonventions artikel 3.
Han er bange for de ukrainske myndigheder og andre medfanger, idet han som følge af sit russiske statsborgerskab og sigtelsen … vil være i risiko for at blive overfaldet. Denne risiko skal også ses i lyset af, at han efter det oplyste kan blive placeret i en celle med 5-20 andre medfanger. Herudover foreligger der oplysninger om, at der er bekymrende lav bemanding i ukrainske fængsler, og at der som følge af ressourcehensyn anvendes såkald te ”duty prisoners” , hvorved svagere indsatte risikerer at blive udsat f or mishandling fra øvrige indsatte. Der er på den baggrund en nærliggende og reel risiko for, at han vil blive udsat for tortur, umenneskelig eller nedværdigende behandling under sin varetægtsfængsling og even-tuelle afsoning af fængselsstraf i Ukraine.
Endvidere består der en stor usikkerhed om, hvorvidt han vil få en retfærdig rettergang i over-ensstemmelse med udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 3, og Menneskerettighedskonventionens artikel 6, og udlevering bør også af denne grund afvises. Det fremgår således af det amerikanske udenrigsministeriums landerapport om menneskerettighedssituationen i Ukraine, at ukrainske myndigheder ikke har overholdt retten til retfærdig rettergang over for tilbageholdte personer fra Ruslands væbnede styrker. Hertil kommer, at den franske Højesteret (Cour de Cassation) ved afgørelse af 7. november 2023 har afvist udlevering af en person til Ukraine med henvis-ning til navnlig den manglende adgang til en retfærdig rettergang.
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Højesterets begrundelse og resultat
Sagens baggrund og problemstilling
Sagen angår udlevering af Sigtede til strafforfølgning i Ukraine i henhold til de ukrainske myndigheders anmodning herom. Sigtede, der er russisk statsborger, er i Ukraine sigtet for …
Hovedspørgsmålet for Højesteret er, om udlevering på grund af fængselsforholdene i Ukraine eller risiko for fysisk mishandling skal nægtes i medfør af udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2, hvor-efter udlevering ikke kan finde sted, hvis der er fare for, at den pågældende efter udleveringen vil blive udsat for tortur eller anden umenneskelig eller nedværdigende behandling eller straf. Bestemmelsen skal fortolkes i overensstemmelse med Den Europæiske Menneskerettigheds-konventions artikel 3, hvorefter ingen må underkastes tortur og ej heller umenneskelig eller nedværdigende behandling eller straf.
Vurderingen efter Menneskerettighedskonventionens artikel 3
Det fremgår af Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedsdomstols dom af 17. januar 2012 i sagen Othman mod Det Forenede Kongerige (sag nr. 8139/09) vedrørende udsendelse, hvor der
forelå diplomatiske garantier, at en udsendelse kan rejse spørgsmål om overtrædelse af Men-neskerettighedskonventionens artikel 3, når der er påvist vægtige grunde til at antage, at den pågældende person ved udsendelse står over for en reel risiko for at blive behandlet i strid med artikel 3, jf. dommens præmis 185.
Ved vurderingen af, om den pågældende person står over for en reel risiko for mishandling i modtagerlandet, skal der tages hensyn til både den generelle menneskerettighedssituation i modtagerlandet og den pågældende persons individuelle forhold. Hvis modtagerlandet har afgivet garantier, udgør disse et yderligere moment, der skal indgå i vurderingen, idet garanti-er dog ikke i sig selv er tilstrækkelige til at sikre en fornøden beskyttelse mod risikoen for mishandling, jf. dommens præmis 187.
Hvilken vægt afgivne garantier skal tillægges, afhænger af situationen på det relevante tids-punkt samt af kvaliteten af garantierne, og om de i lyset af modtagerlandets praksis er trovær-dige. Ved vurderingen heraf indgår en lang række momenter, herunder bl.a. om garantierne er specifikke eller generelle, om den afgivende myndighed kan binde landet, om garantierne
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afgives af et land, der er bundet af Menneskerettighedskonventionen, om en garantis efterle-velse er objektivt verificerbar gennem diplomatiske kanaler eller andre monitoreringsmeka-nismer, om landet samarbejder med internationale monitoreringsmekanismer, og om landet er villig til at efterforske påstande om tortur og straffe de ansvarlige, jf. dommens præmis 187 og 189.
Oplysninger fra de ukrainske myndigheder om fængselsforhold og afsoningsvilkår
Rigsadvokaten har til brug for behandlingen af udleveringssagen indhentet udtalelser fra de ukrainske myndigheder om de forhold, der kan påregnes under frihedsberøvelse af Sigtede, hvis han udleveres til Ukraine til strafforfølgning.
Af udtalelserne fremgår bl.a., at det garanteres, at Sigtede ikke vil blive udsat for behandling omfattet af Menneskerettighedskonventionens artikel 3.
Der er i Ukraine den 21. november 2023 vedtaget en ny lov om udleverede personers ret-tigheder og friheder, og Justitsministeriet i Ukraine har godkendt en liste over egnede institu-tioner, hvor udleverede personer kan frihedsberøves. I overensstemmelse hermed vil Sigtede blive varetægtsfængslet i arresthuset Chortvik Penitentiary Institution (No. 26), mens eventuel afsoning vil ske i Drohobych Correctional Colony (No. 40) eller Kolomyia Correctional Colony (No. 41). I fængslerne pågår arbejde med at etablere særlige afsnit, hvor udleverede personer skal afsone. Alle institutionerne ligger i den vestlige del af Ukraine langt fra krigshandlingerne.
Endvidere fremgår det, at Sigtede såvel i arresthuset som i fængslerne vil få et personligt areal på minimum 4 m2 . Cellerne vil bl.a. være udstyret med egen seng, separat baderum, ventilation og vinduer. Han vil få adgang til daglige gåture i institutionens gårdhaver i minimum en time. Hvis han bliver truet på sit liv eller helbred, vil han modtage den nødvendige beskyttelse, der bl.a. kan bestå i personlig beskyttelse, visuel overvågning og overflytning til et andet fængsel.
Vurdering
Af en række rapporter mv. om fængselsforhold i Ukraine fremgår bl.a., at det ukrainske fæng-selsvæsen har haft et langvarigt strukturelt problem med vedvarende overbelægning navnlig i arresthuse, at de krav, der følger af den ukrainske lovgivning om personligt areal, i mange
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institutioner ikke overholdes, at fængselsforholdene til tider udgør en alvorlig trussel mod de indsattes liv og helbred, og at den verserende krig mod Rusland væsentligt har forværret fængselsforholdene.
Det fremgår imidlertid også af rapporterne, at de ukrainske myndigheder på trods af krigen har udfoldet betydelige bestræbelser på at sikre passende forhold for frihedsberøvede perso-ner, at de ukrainske myndigheder har fortsat indsatsen for at reducere antallet af frihedsberø-vede personer, at der er en igangværende reform af fængselsvæsenet, og at der er oprettet et ekspertudvalg vedrørende fængselsvæsenet.
Hertil kommer, at de ukrainske myndigheder har oplyst, at der i november 2023 er vedtaget en ny lov om udleverede personers rettigheder og friheder, og at der i de fængsler, hvor Sigtede eventuelt vil skulle afsone, pågår arbejde med at etablere særlige afsnit, hvor udleverede personer skal afsone.
Heroverfor står, at det fremgår af rapporterne om de ukrainske fængselsforhold, at …, og at der er et uformelt fængselshierarki og ordninger med såkaldte ”duty prisoners” , der af fængselsledelsen får delegeret de ansattes funktioner og beføjelser, hvilket indebærer, at personer tilhørende en særligt udsat gruppe ofte er i risiko for voldelig intimidering fra deres medfanger.
Sigtede tilhører ubestridt en … som følge af sit russiske statsborgerskab og sigtelsen for ….
Højesteret finder på trods af karakteren og indholdet af de afgivne garantier, at oplysningerne om navnlig … sammenholdt med Sigtedes individuelle forhold, indebærer, at der er en reel risiko for, at han vil blive udsat for behandling i strid med Menneskerettighedskonventionens artikel 3.
Med denne begrundelse tiltræder Højesteret, at udleveringslovens § 6, stk. 2, er til hinder for udlevering. Højesteret stadfæster derfor landsrettens kendelse om, at anklagemyndighedens anmodning om udlevering af Sigtede til Ukraine ikke tages til følge.
Thi bestemmes :
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Landsrettens kendelse stadfæstes.
Statskassen skal betale kæresagens omkostninger for Højesteret.